Page 15 of Always Be Mine

Craig looked to Kat, who only shrugged. “Maybe it’s something we could offer for special occasions. I’ll ask Savi’s mom how she makes them.” Meri seemed satisfied by that. “Is that why today was such a great day?”

Meri looked at him as if he had three heads. “Yup. Why else would it be great?”

Craig laughed at his daughter. “Why don’t you go put your bag in the back and wash up? Bring your coloring stuff out here and youworkwith me for a bit, okay?”

He turned to his sister. “Thanks for picking her up for me, Kat. Today has been…well…”

“You know I don’t mind.” His little sister crossed her arms over her chest. “And I know you weren’t expecting that today. None of us were.”

“Not even a little bit.” He dropped his head. “The timing is just so…”

“Perfect?”

He glared at his sister. “I’ll remind you of that when it’s your turn. And the timing is far from perfect. The last thing I need right now is one more stress on my plate.”

“Thank you for agreeing to do it, Craig.” She crossed the floor and put a hand on his arm.

As if he had any other choice. None of them did. The only one of the siblings they’d all actually doubted would follow through had been Chase. Their eldest brother had spent most of his life living apart from them, and even longer feeling as though he didn’t belong in their family. If anyone was going to blow off their dead father’s demands, it would have been him.

“And for what it’s worth, I don’t think you should be looking at it as a stress. It’s actually kind of the opposite.”

He gave her the side eye.

“I know you have a lot going on right now. Youalwayshave a lot going on. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing.”

“Not a bad thing?” He forced himself to keep his voice down as he spun around to face his sister. “You are kidding me, right? He wants me to hire a nanny, Kat. Ananny?” The word was acid on his tongue. “Do you know what that means?”

She shrugged a little. “It means that you’re finally going to get some help.”

“I don’t need help.” He all but hissed the words at her. “I’ve never needed help. I can’t believe that Dad would…” His anger softened. “I can’t believe Dad thought I did.”

Kat put her hand on his shoulder. “Craig, it doesn’t mean that Dad thought you couldn’t do it on your own.”

“That’s exactly what it means, Kat.” She shook her head, but he wouldn’t hear it. “He didn’t think I could do it on my own.” Craig sucked in a breath and looked up at the ceiling. He had deep emotions about this latest development, but letting them out in the middle of the shop with his daughter in the other room wasn’t going to happen.

“Craig, it’s not like that at all.”

“Don’t worry, Kat. I’ll do it. I said I would, and I will. I’m not going to let you down.”

What he didn’t say was that he was never going to feel the same way about his father again. That damage had been done the moment William Evans had read the stipulation.

“Craig Carlson, you are required to hire and have in your employ for a period of no less than six months, a primary care professional, otherwise known as a nanny, to care for Meredith Carlson.”

At first, after William had reread the stipulation, Craig was numb, because it didn’t make any sense. From the moment Meredith had been placed in his arms, he’d devoted his entire life to his little girl. Every single thing he did, the choices he made…they were all for her. Even opening the Sugar Shack had been for Meri. The ice cream shop was a way to provide for her while being there so he could avoid an endless stream of babysitters. He prided himself on being an excellent father. To hear that his father not only thought he needed help but wasorderingthat help had been a blow, to say the least.

“I’d do it if I could, Craig.”

He looked at his sister. Her pretty face was twisted into a frown, and she looked as if she might cry. It was easy to forget that they were all affected by their father’s loss and his crazy stipulations dangling over their heads.

“I know you would, Kat.” He pressed his lips together and nodded a little. Kat already helped with Meri more than she should. Kat had her own hair salon in the plaza, which was always busier than she had time for. Plus, she should be out dating and having fun. Not babysitting her niece.

Even if she could help, it wasn’t allowed, and William Evans had been sure to remind them of that. “There is to be no help from your siblings. That includes in a professional capacity. You will have to hire an independent party.”

“You don’t need to do this on your own, Craig,” Kat said now. “I can help you find someone suitable.”

“I did not have a child for someone else to raise, Kat.” He inhaled and rolled his shoulders back. “I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this life. It’s not anyone else’s responsibility to take care of my daughter except my own.”

“I know that. We all know that. But you don’t really have a choice right now.”

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